The Russians failed to take Kharkiv. The Ukrainian army initially did not let the Russian "army" into the city, and they began to strengthen in the region. Kharkiv was shelled with rockets, hailstones and mines, but Kharkiv survived. In recent weeks, the situation has changed dramatically and Ukraine went on the counterattack and began to drive the invaders closer to the border of Russia.
"The Russian military has likely decided to withdraw fully from its positions around Kharkiv City in the face of Ukrainian counteroffensives and the limited availability of reinforcements. Russian units have generally not attempted to hold ground against counterattacking Ukrainian forces over the past several days, with a few exceptions. Reports from Western officials and a video from an officer of so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) indicate that Moscow is focused on conducting an orderly withdrawal and prioritizing getting Russians back home before allowing proxy forces to enter Russia rather than trying to hold its positions near the city. Ukraine thus appears to have won the Battle of Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces prevented Russian troops from encircling, let alone seizing Kharkiv, and then expelled them from around the city, as they did to Russian forces attempting to seize Kyiv," Institute for the study of war.
The Russian offensive in the Izyum direction was brutal but failed. Unsuccessful attacks on the southern part of the Donetsk region continue. Now Russia has concentrated all its forces on the encirclement of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. So far, Russian attempts have ended in failure. "Russian forces coming north-to-south have failed to cross the Siverskyi Donets River and taken devastating losses in their attempts. The Russians may not have enough additional fresh combat power to offset those losses and continue the offensive on a large enough scale to complete the encirclement, although they will likely continue to try to do so," suggests ISW.
The destruction of Azovstal continues. Russia does not allow the evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers who are in Azovstal, as well as the civilian population that is hiding there. Ukraine is working on an extraction procedure.
"For 62 days, we have been conducting combat operations in the complete encirclement. Now we are territorially located at the Azovstal plant, performing tasks together with the units of the Azov regiment and other units that were surrounded. There are more than 600 wounded guys in our group of varying degrees of severity, they really need medical help, there are no conditions here, no medicines, no personnel who could help them. There are also civilians who are injured, to whom we help them as much as we can. Hundreds of civilians, dozens of children, many people with disabilities, and elderly people are with us. The situation is difficult, there are problems with water," commander of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhii Volynskyy.
We remind you that in 1940, during the World War II, there was a similar situation in Dunkirk. And even Hitler agreed to stop the attack on the encircled British and French and allow them to be evacuated. Hitler obviously had more brains and heart than Putin.
